Slashdot Mirror
Cybersquatter Ordered To Give Up iTunes.co.uk
DigitumDei writes "Originally reported on Slashdot last year when Apple accused Benjamin Cohen of being a cybersquatter, the UK Internet registry has now ordered Cohen to give up the domain to Apple. Nominet ruled that Cohen had made an "abusive registration," and that he "is using the domain name in a way which has confused people or businesses into believing that the domain name is registered to, operated or authorized by, or otherwise connected with the complainant."
He registered ITunes.co.uk on Nov. 7 2000, and Apple trademarked ITunes on Dec. 8, 2000.
Apple registered itunes.com in August 1998, though. Over two years before Cohen's domain.
He registered it before they trademarked iTunes, not before they announced it. Furthur, he registered it over two years after Apple registered itunes.com (link is to whois data).
Well, there's two reasons:
Put simply, this phisher is playing off surfers trying to use someone else's trademark as a domain name. Not complicated.
Still, it could be worse. The Food Standards Agancy and Financial Services Authority are both UK government run, but only one gets the http://www.fsa.gov.uk/
But both may have their respective www.FoodStandarsAgency.gov.uk and www.FinancialServicesAuthority.gov.uk sites if they wish.
"itunes" on the other hand is a brand name - it isn't short for anything - and like you said, this guy is certainly using their reputation and marketing dollars for his own gain.
I only came here to do two things; kick some ass, and drink some beer...looks like we're almost out of beer.